Irish Oatmeal-Whiskey Cake

Nut Topping
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon Irish whiskey
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup grated unsweetened coconut

Cream butter and sugar.
Blend in cream and whiskey.
Stir in nuts
and coconut.
Set aside.

Cake
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda

Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch round or square cake pan.
Set
aside.
Place oatmeal in a heatproof mixing bowl.
Pour boiling water
over oatmeal; allow to stand for 20 minutes.

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Beat in whiskey
and eggs.
When well combined, stir in oatmeal mixture.

Combine flour, cinnamon and baking soda.
When well combined,
stir into oatmeal mixture.
Beat until well mixed.
Pour oatmeal
batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or
until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean and cake
is golden.
Remove from oven.

Preheat broiler.
Spread Nut Topping over top of the warm cake.
Place under preheated broiler; broil for 5 minutes or until topping
is bubbling and toasted.

Remove from broiler and allow to cool on wire rack at least 15
minutes before cutting.

Pratie Apple

4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut
into 1-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
6 (about 3 pounds) Granny Smith apples,
peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Place potatoes in a 3-quart pan.
Cover with water; add salt.
Bring to a boil; cook until fork-tender - 12 to 15 minutes.
Drain
and mash.
Stir in 2 tablespoons butter, granulated sugar and
ginger.
Cool 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Stir flour into potato mixture, forming a soft dough.
Turn out
onto floured surface; form into a round.
Divide in half.
Place one
half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and roll into an 11-inch
circle, about 1/4-inch thick.
Remove top sheet of plastic; invert
into an 8-inch deep-dish pie plate.
Add apples.
Roll out remaining
half of dough and cover pie.
Crimp edges of dough together; make 4
slits in top.
Bake until lightly browned - about 25 minutes.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter with brown sugar.
Remove pie
from oven.
Cut a 2-inch circle in center of pastry.
Remove circle;
pour in brown sugar mixture.
Replace circle and return pie to oven.
Bake 20 minutes more.

Cool 30 minutes and serve.

Curach

This is a traditional Irish dessert.

1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup chopped rhubarb
2 cups raspberries
3 tablespoons honey, divided
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons whiskey

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread the oatmeal on a cookie sheet and bake until golden
brown, stirring frequently.
In a medium saucepan, add the rhubarb
and half of the raspberries with 2 tablespoons honey.
Cook over
medium heat until the rhubarb is tender.
Cool.
In a large bowl whip
the cream until stiff.
Fold in the remaining honey and whiskey.
Layer in a trifle bowl or individual glasses some of the cream
mixture, some toasted oatmeal, the rhubarb mixture, and some fresh
raspberries.
Then repeat.
Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint
leaves if desired.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 6 servings.

Irish Stew and Dumplings

3/4 pound beef, cut into cubes
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon fat (shortening)
1/4 cup carrot
1/4 cup turnip
1/4 cup onion
3/4 cup diced potato
2 1/2 cups boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste

Dredge beef cubes in a mixture of the flour and salt.
Brown meat
in fat; remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

Place remaining ingredients in crockpot.
Add browned beef.
Do
not stir.
Cover, cook on LOW about 5 hours.

When meat is tender, remove meat and vegetables from crockpot.
Mix 3 tablespoons flour to 3 tablespoons water (plus dashes of salt
and pepper) in a cup until the mixture resembles paste.
Stir into
liquid in crockpot.
Add 1 teaspoon instant coffee (to make the
gravy turn brown).
When liquid is heated, return meat and
vegetables to heat.
Add dumplings and cook for one more hour.

Dumplings
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 tablespoon shortening
1/4 cup milk

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.
Cut in shortening.
Gradually add milk; mix until smooth.
Drop by tablespoons on hot
stew.
Cover.
Cook for last hour .

Irish Sausage and Bacon Stew

4 medium onions, finely chopped
8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 vegetable stock cube
8-12 slices streaky bacon
1 pound sausages
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup butter parsley salt and pepper

Place the onions and potatoes in a large saucepan.

Cut the bacon into pieces and add it to the saucepan.
Season
with salt and pepper.
Add the cold water and lay the sausages on
top.
Place the pan over a high heat and bring to a boil.
Dissolve
the stock cube in the water.
Lower the heat once it comes to a
boil, taking the water down to a simmer.
Cover and cook for 20
minutes.

Remove the lid, increase the heat and boil for 10 minutes.

Add in the frozen peas, parsley and any more salt and pepper, if
needed.

Serve in soup bowls with a knob of butter on top.

O’Donoghue’s Beef Stew

1 1/2 pounds round steak or stew beef
3 medium carrots
3 medium parsnips
1/2 cup barley, pearled
8 potatoes
Stock or soup mixture (beef or oxtail)
Salt and pepper
Mixed herbs

Boil some water in a large saucepan, sufficient to cover the
meat and have approximately 1 inch left above.
Put in the chopped
(large chunks) meat, lower heat to keep the stew simmering, put in
the chopped/ diced carrots and parsnips, add herbs, salt and pepper
to taste, leave simmer for a while (say 20 minutes).

Add the peeled whole potatoes and some stock/ soup mixture or
cornflour (cornstarch mixed with cold water) to thicken.
Keep the
mixture simmering and stir occasionally; after about 1 hourr from
start time, taste and check the potatoes.

Remember the best stews are left on for a long time, 1 1/2 hours
or more.